NY Lawmakers Unveil 25 Bills To Curb Heroin Use

ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) — New York schools could be equipped with an opioid antidote and patients taking certain pain medications would be limited to a 10-day supply under new legislation proposed Wednesday to fight the rise of heroin and bolster treatment of addicts.

The Senate’s Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction released 25 bills and a report targeting opioid abuse and overdoses, increasing addiction treatment and aiding law enforcement.

“A terrible opioid epidemic has gone statewide, from Buffalo to Montauk, New York City, rural communities, everywhere throughout the state,” said Sen. Phil Boyle, chairman of the task force.

“We’ve got to get real about this issue, that addiction has to be treated just like any other disease, that we can’t allow insurance companies to continue to deny coverage that is desperately needed,” Carlucci said.

While some bills take a proactive approach by creating prevention programs, most target the effects of heroin and opioid use and how to get treatment.

After the press conference on Wednesday, Democratic leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, whose conference introduced similar bills last month, released a statement saying the minority conference is willing to work with Republicans to pass legislation.